title: Test-retest variability in children with epilepsy--a comparison of WISC-R profiles.
abstract: Reports of test-retest variability appear recurrently in relation to epilepsy. To date, the amount of information available on the stability of cognitive profiles over a number of years is limited. In this study, 45 children were assessed, using the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children - Revised (WISC-R). The children were retested after a period of at least 2 years. A group of 20 children was tested 3 times. The average follow-up period was 4.2 years. Although most subjects in our sample had a high seizure frequency and continued to have their seizures during the period of follow-up, a marked stability of cognitive profiles is found over a period of time. These profiles show low scores for the subtests Information, Coding, Digit Span, Vocabulary and resemble profiles reported in other studies on subjects with intractable epilepsies.
authors.affiliation: Instituut voor Epilepsiebestrijding, Meer en Bosch/De Cruquiushoeve, Heemstede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Aldenkamp
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Alpherts
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Bruïne-Seeder
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dekker
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014888:Wechsler Scales
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants